Tuesday, 26 November 2013

Heard of the film? I watched it last week for the first time in ages and forgot how good it was. Here's a brief little synopsis for those of you who haven't seen it and think it's just your average "chick flick":

Starring Cameron Diaz and Toni Colette, these two
play sisters who are polar opposites. Colette as the
serious, business type who has her own place and akiller rack of shoes and Diaz as the fancy free, live
for the moment and scrounge off of her sister type.
Together, they are each others best friends... and worst enemies.
After a fight that tears them a part, they are reunited
by their long lost Grandmother who was outcasted
by their father after their mother passed. This is a story of family, love, loss, friendship and sisterhood that will be sure to have you gripped from start to finish.

Like my synopsis? Always fancied myself as a film critic... but that's another story. Now for those of you that know me, I do love a good film - even a chick flick (shock horror). In actual fact, I think Cameron Diaz is a fine actress, one who has really impressed me in recent years with films such as, My Sister's Keeper (2009) and more recently, The Councelor (2013).
What I particularly love about, In Her Shoes, is that it displays all the conventions that happen in everyday life and specifically, within the family. Families are the closest people that we will ever have in our lives and it isn't unheard of that families can argue and fall out from time to time. One scene shows Toni Colette (Rose) quickly grabbing a pair of her Jimmy Choo's to wear to a wedding. When she puts them on in the car on the way, she discovers the heel is broken and has been mended with used chewing gum - nice! Ladies, we've all been there. Probably not with a pair of Jimmy Choo's... maybe with a New Look pair. I know I have. When me and my sister would share a wardrobe we would always take each other's clothes. One time my sister borrowed my jumper and got bleach on it! I didn't care though... it was an old jumper.

There is one scene where Rose gets married and Cameron Diaz (Maggie) recites a poem by E. E. Cummings before she takes her vows:

The first time I watched this movie, this scene made me sad because of the way Maggie was saying the poem. When I watched it last week, I was sad because the words mean something to me now. Poetry has never been my strong point, but a poem about love doesn't always have to be about someone we have fallen in love with. It can also be about a love that has been unconditional from the beginning of time until forever. The love of a Sister, a Brother, a Father or a Mother. The words mean something to me because I carry another heart now and she also carries mine.

Although I love Cameron Diaz, Toni Colette is also a fantastic actress and as many of you know, her major breakthrough was in, Muriel's Wedding (1994). So I'm going to leave you with a song taken from it's soundtrack and a song that is close to my hearts.

Tuesday, 19 November 2013

I'm not even going to finish the title of this blog, because you all know what the last word is. That's right people, I'm a Scrooge. I have NEVER agreed with the talks of Christmas in the month of November. November is November. It AIN'T the month of Christmas. I actually went to Tesco in August and seen a whole aisle dedicated to Christmas - I could have found the manager and throttled them. I also can't stand logging onto Facebook and seeing people have bought a wrapped their Christmas presents... on the 1st of November! What the actual fuck?!

I'm not a Christmas person for my own reasons, but when I was a Christmas person and I still think this to the day, people seem to have lost the meaning of it. Don't get me wrong, I like to open presents as much as the next guy, but of course that isn't what it's about. Just like Easter isn't about eating shed loads of chocolate (although I do especially love doing that).

However, I did go to the German Christmas markets tonight and it did get me feeling festive... I of course had an Amaretto Hot Chocolate #yum. I went with my Sister's, Niece and my Aunt Elise and it was lovely. For me I love it so much, because I know it's a place that my Mammy loved. She would always say, "It's the biggest German Christmas Market in all of Europe, ya know..." She loved all the little trinkets and the fact that everything was hand made as she was quite the craftswoman herself. She could do anything! From making dresses, to doing the garden and making curtains to knitting cardigans. If I could learn half the stuff she knew, I'd be on my way! So talented and appreciated everything and everyone around her that showed their best self. She never realised how talented she was herself and just thought of all the things she could do as second nature, something she's always known, and you know what? She was just amazing xxx.

Christmas is about being with your family and friends and being truly happy with everything you have around you; not forgetting it's about the birth of Jesus Christ as well. It's not about how much we spend on one another and rushing around at the last minute to find something we THINK that person can't go without. As I quoted on last week's blog, time is precious and we have to spend it wisely. So although I think it is ABSOLUTELY ridiculous to be celebrating Christmas so early, make sure you don't forget what the meaning of it is and if it just so happens you need to get a present, do it Christmas Eve - THAT'S when the sale starts - NOT BOXING DAY!

Tuesday, 12 November 2013

Hi everyone. This is my first blog in around two months now and to be honest I've been struggling to think of what to say. As some of you may know, my family and I have had a very rough year. A year that has been a complete blur to me. A year that has gone so quick but also seems so long lasting at the same time. I usually write my blogs with the intention of injecting positivity and happiness into peoples lives and now that my own has hit a turning point, I feel it would be very hypocritical to tell you all to do things when I'm not particularly feeling that way inclined myself.

The truth is I can't tell you all what is right and wrong, what you should and shouldn't do. You all have to figure life out for yourselves and how you go about living it. What I will say though, is appreciate every good thing you have in your life. Your health, your family, a job, a roof over your head... When I ever had a bad day before, it was over something trivial. This could be to do with work, not starting that diet you said you'd begin on Monday, waking up with a headache and not taking anything for it. Trivial. That's what they are. I have hit a turning point in my life and can honestly say that although the above will happen, nothing could affect me the same way it did before, because worse things have happened.

I'm not going to write any more now. Eventually I will. But not now. Now I'm going to leave you with several quotes from various different well known and anonymous figures that I read from Elle Inspired all the time. I hope these help you all with whatever life throws at you, because I know throughout this year when I have read these, they have brought so much truth and comfort to my life. I'll also leave you with a song in the ordinary way I do.

Remember, life is a wave that we all ride. Some waves are overwhelming, some underwhelming. But we just need to keep on that board and keep looking for a smooth ride.

This blog is dedicated to my first love, my best friend, my only reason for writing this blog, my Mammy. Love you and miss you more than you'll ever know xxx.